The Gods Will Bleed [ON HOLD]

HIDDEN TRUTHS

-CHAPTER 4-

The walk down to the Severance HQ was quiet as Antwon led Camille and Edgar. Their footsteps were muffled by the soft dirt under them as they traversed the bored-out tunnel with lights embedded into its walls. The path was created years ago under a factory deep withing Outer Ring. Camille had known about the rebellion for quite some time but had never been to meet with its leaders. Honestly, she thought the whole revolt thing was a waste of energy. Where did they think they would go, if what she thought was their ultimate goal of escape, succeeded?

Anyone that jumped to Mid or Central would stick out because their customs and ways are foreign to the people of Outer. What did Antwon's people hope to do once through to the other side, create a new caste and hope that the people of Mid understand the plight of the Outer Ring? Whatever the reason, Camille was in it for the bits and wasn't planning on getting dragged further down into their delusions of escaping.

As they ventured deeper into the tunnels, Camille saw a glint of something metallic ahead of them. Its dull gleam about head high and another identical shine across from it. She slowed down and stepped in front of Edgar, motioning him to stay behind her. Her brain started to run through the possibilities and make sense of the forms waiting on either side of the tunnel.

Gara dammit, she thought to herself. "Gara dammit," she said to Edgar in a whisper.

"What is it, Mille?" Edgar asked.

"Antwon stop now!" Camille yelled at him, drawing her pistol from her waist and throwing Eddy to the ground in the same motion.

Antwon swung around just in time to see Camille aiming her damn gun at him. But he didn't have enough time to react, and he just held his hands to his ears as the shots rang around him. The thundering eruptions and twisting metal showering him with sparks. Crashes are coming from both sides vibrating his bones and chattering his teeth. The molten bits were still burning his skin even as the roaring stopped as fast as it had begun.

He stood there silhouetted against piles of burning metal, the air still thick with burnt circuit smoke, and he dared open his eyes. Slowly he lowered his hands, then quickly checked his body for holes, relieved to find he had all the same ones he was born with. Adrenalin still rushing through his veins and the world around him pulsing with energy, he set his sights on the girl rising to her feet in front of him.

"What in the freaking name of peace, quiet and babies sleeping was that Camille!"

"That's a strange way to say thank you."

Camille holstered her gun and offered a hand to Eddy, who was still in a ball on the ground. "Hop up wiz. I got em."

Edgar grabbed her arm and lifted himself to his feet, dusting off his clothes. "I sure hope so," then, "what did you get exactly?"

His gaze then found Antwon standing between the two heaps.

"oh."

"Seriously Camille, a little warning would have been nice before you let loose the canon from hell on our freaking sentries!"

"Our? What the hell do you mean, our?" She said stomping toward him.

Antwon stiffened up as she plodded forward. He put his hands out in front of him in a gesture signaling calm.

"Riiiiiiight. You haven't been down here yet," he looked down and snapped his fingers, "I knew there was something I forgot to tell you when we started off. So, those two fine pieces of security," putting a heavy emphasis on the word fine, "were our sentry bots, we are able to sneak a few deliveries here and there, with a bit of number fudging and slight of hand. Ask Eddy, he's one of the only people in Outer that knows the system well enough to make it possible." Antwon immediately regretted saying that.

Camille's green eyes widened and lit up like two jade flames as she turned to look at her young friend, saying as level as she could manage, "What's he talking about Eddy. And don't waste time."

"Sometimes the Severance come to me and ask for help with the delivery systems to get the section transfers to look like they have been sent already, and I want to help and think that it's for a good cause," Eddy said in one hurried breath, "and because I can. I'm the only one who can Mille, they need me."

Her demeanor weakened at bit hearing that. Its been Eddy and her for so long. Then this, what, delusional cult goes putting ideas in his head that there is someplace to go if only he can help.

"Eddy, it's you and me, it's only ever been you and me." She said closing her eyes and resting her forehead on his.

She held the sides of his face with her hands for a moment, remembering the days not that long ago, when he held her needs, the needs of their survival with such high regard. But he's getting older now and is apparently starting to make his own choices on what he thinks is important. It used to be whatever she said went because he knew that she had his best interests in mind. She wasn't but a handful of years older than him when she found him on his butt, crying to the darkness, his tattered little clothes spattered with the drying blood of his parents. Slain by hungry data slingers for the very thing that would one day bring about their violent deaths at the hands of the Marshals.

He always found a way to be useful to their goals. Early on he made his way into the programming jobs that were usually for older more experienced Outers. But, his propensity for navigating the systems and making the bots more efficient was noticed by the factory chiefs, and he was given the positions. These jobs, from factory to factory gave him access, though not by right, to hidden systems and back doors, always covering his tracks. He discovered ways into the community systems and census database, which in turn gave Eddy and Camille extra rations and places to stay. They would find people in outer that needed their services, creating a business of sorts. It was only recently that she decided to take on more risky requests from shadier groups. Eddy had found increasingly distressing movements of rations and supplies to the Mid, leaving them and the Outer in even more dire times.

Maybe that's when Eddy started seeking out help, or it sought him. They had made a minor name for themselves as problem solvers, always seeming to have just what they needed before moving on to another remote district of Outer. And what could be more magical than a group spouting freedom from our tired and worn down world? A young mind eats that garbage right up.

Camille took a step back and lowered her hands to his shoulders then asked, "Eddy, why didn't you just tell me? Our job was to get them the crap they wanted and get paid, not get sucked into their lies. You know how I feel about these radicals, all their preaching, and stories of taking down Mid and escape. They are going to get themselves killed, get us killed. And for what, some fairy tale of a past or future where the Cycle didn't exist, and we all get what we ever wanted?"

"I'm standing right here," Antwon mumbled.

"Shut up Antwon, I'll deal with you in a minute."

Finally, Edgar spoke again, "Because of what you just said, Mille. I knew you wouldn't go along with it unless it was unavoidable. There has to be more than this. There has to be a place where we don't live in the shadows, dying from the work we do and kill each other for food or data like animals. We may have found a way to survive, but for every two of us that manage to get by, there are a thousand that are left dying in the streets."

The mood in the tunnel turned to somber silence as Camille considered the words from Edgar. Her once tireless companion, her responsibility, her friend, her adopted little brother.

A voice came from Antwon's belt radio. "Antwon, what's happening? We lost contact with two bots, and your delivery is the only one expected."

Camille shot him a look that could burn a hole straight through to the center of Polis Titanis.

"All clear, Duncan. We had a minor case of misidentification. We'll be there shortly, I'll explain further." Antwon replied into the radio. Looking slightly wary about his decision to involve Camille.

"You bet your ass you will explain further," She snapped at him. "Come on Eddy, we can talk about this later." She grabbed Edgar's hand and stormed past Antwon, leading the way through the tunnel, to its eventual end at the HQ.

"Yup, you just keep heading that way, and you'll end up at the base, Camille. I'll be right behind ya," he waived toward her. Then muttering, "Try not to shoot anything else you maniac."

Great, I've led the fox right to the henhouse. Lana is going to love me for this, he thought.